Live text
WEC
24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans 24 Hours Live Commentary and Updates
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The eagerly-anticipated centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours is the first in which cars built to the new-for-2023 LMDh ruleset have been eligible to compete.
Toyota is seeking a sixth consecutive victory at the world's most famous endurance race, while Ferrari on its first factory effort in the top class in half a century and fellow returnee Porsche are gunning for their 10th and 20th victories respectively.
A field of 62 cars, including the Garage 56 NASCAR entry and 21 GTE Am machines on the category's Le Mans swansong, will take the start at the Circuit de la Sarthe at 4pm local time and race through the night.
Join us here for live updates throughout the race.
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
Live Text
Sort by
Newest first
Oldest first
Newest first
Green flag
Slow zone removed as Aitken's car has been recovered. Green running all around the circuit.
The latest driver change has meant the advantage the #51 Ferrari had has all but disappeared to the #8 Toyota. Less than four hours left, and it appears to be a two-horse race.
Yellow flag
Aitken's off has meant another slow zone has been put in place again.
And in GTE - a class that is providing a fascinating battle:
- #85 Iron Dames
- #25 ORT by TF
- #33 Corvette Racing
- #56 Project 1-AO
- #54 AF Corse
An update on the LMP2 positions:
- #34 Inter Europol Competition
- #41 WRT
- #30 Duqeine Team
- #48 IDEC Sport
- #65 Panis Racing
Well, when it rains it pours as Jack Aitken has found out in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. The Briton has gone off at the first chicane, beaching the #311 Cadillac in the gravel. It's very much been an event to forget for the team.
The slow zones are finally being removed and we are back up to full racing speeds!
Just four hours left, and here is the leading order in the Hypercar class:
1. #51 Ferrari
2. #8 Toyota
3. #2 Cadillac
4. #3 Cadillac
5. #93 Peugeot
Further information indicated the Inter Europol team manager has been summoned is due to a pit stop being under investigation.
Pit stop
And another pitstop for the leading #51 Ferrari. Out gets Pier Guidi, in jumps James Calado after a mega double-stint.
Drama for the LMP2 class-leading Inter Europol entry. The team manager has been summoned "to the race director immediately in race control". This is not normally just a trip to receive a pat on the back for a job well done!
Speaking of Cadillacs, the #3 has made a schedule stop from fourth.
Big lock-up heading into the slow zone for Pipo Derani in the #311 Cadillac. That won't do his tyres any good at all!
Pit stop
A slightly earlier than expected pitstop for the #8 Toyota. No problems though and Hartley is back underway still in second.
The slow zone is a significant one, stretching all the way from the Porsche Curves to the start straight. The tyre barrier still needs to be replaced, so this may remain the case for a while yet!
And that margin will remain, as Deletraz pits the WRT. But drama for the P3 Duqueine Team entry, as Pino skips across a runoff area and brings gravel onto the track.
Scherer pits from the lead of LMP2. He had a two-minute lead to the WRT prior to entering the lane.
With the slow zone still in place through the final sector, WRT and Alpine both pit their cars that are battling for P6 in LMP2.
We said the Hypercar Porsches were having a tough race, and it just gets worse. The #38 Jota Porsche is now in the garage due to a failed accident data recorder.
Hartley in the #8 Toyota gets blocked slightly into the Dunlop Chicane. Gap to the leading #51 Ferrari stands at 19s and is continuing to grow.
Handshakes in the garage and resigned looks on faces. Fassbender's off in the #911 Proton Competition Porsche appears to have brought the day to an early end for the team.
Pit stop
Another lengthy pitstop for the #6 Porsche as it is currently undergoing a battery change. It's been a difficult race for all three Porches in the Hypercar class.
As a result, there has been a slow zone declared towards the end of the lap.
Before that crash, Fassbender was running P9 in class. With significant damage to the right-rear, his car is wheeled back into the garage for what is likely to be a lengthy stop - if not a retirement.
Twitter
A huge crash in GTE! Michael Fassbender loses the rear of the #911 Proton Competition-run Porsche and slams into the wall. Big damage, but he is able to recover the wreckage back to the pits.
40 seconds separate the top three cars in GTE, with the Iron Dames leading by three seconds from the ORT Aston Martin. The #33 Corvette is 37 seconds further back.
In comes the GTE leading Corvette. Keating is out, Varrone is in and the #33 returns to the track in P3.
The order in LMP2 shifts again - one again, this is through the pitstop shuffle. Van Der Helm drops from P3 to P5 as he remains in the Panis Racing car for another stint.
A huge moment for GTE leader Keating in the #33 Corvette. He took far too much speed into the Dunlop Chicane and lost the rear. At the end of this lap, he will pit for a driver change.
Pier Guidi told by his race engineer about breaching track limits at Tertre Rouge. It's the #51 car's fourth warning, so still some way off before they will be issued a penalty.
A change in the top three of LMP2, as Pino drops back to P4 in the #30 Duqueine Team entry while in the pits. Van Der Helm goes back into the top three.
Good news if you're a Ferrari fan. The #51 leaves the pits with no need for a power cycle like at the previous stop and extends the lead over the #8 Toyota.
The reason for Button's recent stop of over 10 minutes was that a brake change was required, we have been told. This dropped him back to ninth in the unofficial non-prototype class.
Pit stop
In comes the #51 Ferrari and #8 Toyota. Fuel only for the leading car, but Sebastien Buemi hands over to Brendon Hartley.
The #8 Toyota mechanics are performing a small exercise drill in the garage, presumably in preparation for another stop. Or maybe they just like a bit of Sunday morning exercise?
In comes Eastwood. He climbs out and is replaced by Michael Dinan in the GTE #25 Aston Martin. Keating assumes the lead for Corvette and the Iron Dames move back up to P2.
Scott Dixon pits the #3 Cadillac from fourth place. A strong showing from the Kiwi who remains behind the wheel for another stint.
Further problems for the #6 Porsche which is way down the order. A pitstop of 10m36s after a 'high voltage system' issue.
Bovy exits the pits in third in GTE, as Keating also makes a positional gain for Corvette. The #85 Iron Dames Porsche trails by 1:18s.
After the drama of the lead change at the head of the field not long ago, things have calmed down a bit. Pier Guidi's lead in the #51 Ferrari currently 7.6s and growing.
By: Autosport Staff
Published:
Page:
